Delinter



J. B. RICKER Oct. 12, 1943.

DELINTER Filed Jan. 22, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. B. RICKER Oct. 12, 1943.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 12, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT Q assrm; 1 I Q i DEIJNTEB John B Kicker, Memphis 'l 'ehn. Application January 22, 1944, Serial No. 315,391..

I 4 omens. (ohm-41:)

This invention. relates to improvements in delintera, such as are; used in oil. mills prior tov crushing the seed, and particularly to delinters of the saw type which remove the residual'linters from the cottonseed after the seed has: been sub;- jected toordinary ginning, and the long: cotton fiber removed. I p I Since the invention. by Whitneyof the; cotton gin the cotton fiber. has been removed from the seed by saws having sharply pointed arcuate teeth withunder-cut throats, which teeth hook into: the fiber and pull it off the seed, leaving a considerable amount of lint from which the long:- or fibers are broken. off and also a. certain. amount of fuzz too short for engagement by the saws.

The cotton fiber. removed from theseed engages rather flrm'ly Y in the throat of the saws, and brushes revolving at a much higher rate of speed than the saws are. largely used, for di-slodging the fiber from the saws, the: fiber removedmheing: thrown outward fromv the gin by the brush action. Also, attempts have been. made to substitute for the brush, high. pressure air currents impinging tangentially along the line of movement of the saw teeth to dislodge and. carry.- away the fiber, and similarly, vacuum action has been tried, to establish ahighspeed current; for withdrawing the fiber from the; teeth throats and discharging; it from the gin. p I

Subsequent to the gin, delintersof. various types have been devised for the cutting off the linters left on the seed after ginning. At the present time these-devices are largely of; the saw type, differing primarily from. the gin in that the teethof the saws are straight; though usually not radial and are of rectangular, cross section providing cutting surfaces, and provide little resistance to the discharge of the lin-t by centrifugal force.

t has, however; been assumed and even insisted upon, that the linters are so lightthatadherence to the saw necessitates the use of brushes, or high speed air currents, either pressure or vacuum. These devices remove the linters, but; theycreate such. turbulence as to: carry substantially all of the motes *andtrash away from the do. linter with the linters, so reducing. theduality of the linters removed as to requirewsubsequent troublesome andexpensive processes for its-clean- The objects of the present device are:

To provide means and methods for removing the linters which will reduce thetu-rbulence; and allow the separation of the trash and-the linters. as it comes from. the saws and accomplish the discharge of the heavier particles and trash and the removal and collection of the-linters separately and distinct from such trash; and

To provide means for individually adjusting. the removal apparatus to conform certain; portionsthereof to the saws as they are reduced in diameter from time to time by sharpening. and to'inclependently adjust. other portions of the apparatus toconform. it tolvarving conditions. as of. moisture content and amount and nature. of. theheav-ier particles which are to. be a-l-l'owed to. discharge independently of the. lint. removal.

Further objects are to reduce. the initial costs of construction to. reducethe operating cost and provide apparatusadapted to. improve. thequalityot the residual product. 7

Primarily these. objects are. accomplished by establishing vacuum flow. ofyair awayfrom the saws througha passageway havingside walls conforming longitudinally to'the. bank .of. saws used,v a. top wall adjustable independently tO SUb-r stantially c'ontact'the teeth of the saws as. they approach. the passageway, and minimize flow of air at such; p.oint,and. a hinged lower .wall, slidably adjustable toward. and. away'from the saws, and swingingly adjustable toward and away from the upper wall to establish and regulate desired entrance area for into the passageway and I desired positioning. of thev end of. such wall proximatetothe saws to determine the proper separation line between the lighter and the heavier 'to the accompanying drawings, in which;

Fig. l. is a typical. cross sectional elevation throughan ordinary delinter of the saw type. to

which the improvements have been applied.

. Figs. 3 and e are substantially full size frag-- mentary details showing. respectively the. teeth of a delinter saw and. a gin saw and their adjacentair entrance throats.

Referring now to the drawings in. which. the various parts are indicated by numerals H is the frame of, the delinter, IS a saw shaft on which are mounted a large. number of saws I5, ordinarily N15 or Ml'sawsbeing used. I1 are. a

' fixed" baifie l ten which extendsfronr end wall 2-5- to the opposite end wall, not showmfiof' the delinter; Hingedly attached to: thisv fixedplate is: a swinging plate 21, the lower; end of which may be adiusted into close; proximity to th'e teeth or the saw and asa matter ct; fact, is

flue toward the saws being supported as by a transverse angle 30. Extending toward the saws from the flue are a pair of side plates 3|,"

one only of which is shown in the drawings,which plates are spaced apart to lie immediately outside of the end ones of the delinter saws I5. Extending between these plates, and forming a continuation of the top wall of the flue 29, is a top plate or top 33 which is fixedly attached at its edges to the side plates 3|. Slidably disposed on this plate and extending from side plate to side plate is a top extension 35 which is provided with one or more slots 3'7 through which pass clampingbolts 39 adapted to secure it in adjusted position. This extension at its forward edge is bent upward, and the'upward portion M is secured as by bolts 43 to the swinging plate 21', the extension 35 beingsufiiciently flexible to permit the slight arcuate movement of the lower end of the swinging plates 27.

Also disposed between the side plates 3| is a swinging bottom 45 which is rigidly secured to a rod 41 and forms a continuation of the bottom of the flue 29. 4315 a slidable extension of the bottom 45, adapted to be secured in adjusted position as by a bolt or bolts and nuts The rod 41 extends through the side plates 31 and has secured thereon arms 53 (one shown) through which the rod may be turned and the angular position of the swingingbottom 29 be determined. Each arm has a clamping bolt 55 which passes through and is shiftable along an arcuate slot 5'! in the side plate 3|.

59 is the usual swinging board below and adjacent the rear of the saws.

In use the delinter saws are driven at high speed, the driving pulleys, belts and other driving devices not being shown, and the seed are fed in usual manner. The ribs and saws, in usual manner, respectively hold back and cut oil the linters from the seed. The linters, motes and other detritus are carried by the saws past the baffle plate 21, which is adjusted to almost or even lightly touch the saw teeth, into the throat leading to the exhaust flue 29. An exhaust current is set up in the flue 29 to withdraw the linters carried into the throat and convey them to discharge. Air entrance is largely prevented by the bafille 21 and must be effected between the board 59 and the saws and between the board and the adjustable swinging bottom 45, 49.

The motes and heavier materials are tangentially downwardly discharged, the linters impalpably floating into the throat. Adjustment is made downwardly and outwardly of the bottom and its adjustable extension 49 to reduce the speed of intake flow sufliciently to permit discharge of the heavy materials with minimum deflection and to establish the forward edge of the extension substantially along the rear of the path of discharge of the heavy material. Such heavier material as is thrown rearward of the forward edge of the extension, and therefore impinges on the extension, is usually of such weight that even though it temporarily piles up on the extension, it eventually is dislodged by gravity and the inherent vibration in the machine and discharges downwardly with the remainder of such materials, whereas the linters are floated away from the saws and through the throat into the flue and transferred to desired collection or discharge points.

I claim:

1. In a delinter employing a bank of delinting saws; a suction flue extending substantially radially and horizontally away from said saws, a

chamber interposed between said flue and said saws, and interconnected to said flue, said chamber having side walls spaced to closely embrace rear edge portions of the end saws of said bank, an extensible top wall, baffle means cooperating and movable with the extensible portion of said top wall substantially contacting the periphery of said saw bank and adjustable by said top extension from time to time to maintain such contact, said top wall and cooperating portion substantially preventing downward flow of air into said chamber, an extensible hingedly supported bottom wall, disposed and movable between said side walls, to establish a mote separating forward edge position, said bottom wall being adjustable to regulate air inflow opening, and establish mote discharge inclination, and means forclamping said wall in adjusted positions.

2. In a delinter employing a bank of delinting saws; a discharge chamber disposed rearwardly of said saws and substantially all below the level of the axis of said saws, and a suction flue extending rearwardly from said chamber; saidchamber having side walls spaced to embrace and extending forwardly to overlap the rear edge portions of the end saws of said bank, a top wall having an extensible portion, and an extensible bottom wall hingedly supported at its rear end; a hingedly supported baffle plate having a beveled lower edge adapted to be moved substantially into contact with the periphery of said saws above said top wall, said extensible top wall portion being upwardly conformed to contact, and being secured to said bafiie and cooperating therewith to prevent downward flow of air into said chamber.

3. In a delinter employing a bank of delinting'saws; a discharge chamber disposed rearwardly of said saws, and a suction flue extending rearwardly from said chamber; said chamber having side walls spaced to embrace and extending forwardly to overlap the rear edge portions of the end saws of said bank, an extensible top wall, and an extensible bottom wall hingedly supported at its rear end; and a hingedly supported baflie plate adapted to be moved substantially into contact with the periphery of said saws, the extensible portion of said top wall being secured to said bafle and cooperating therewith to prevent downward flow of air into said chamber.

4. In a delinter employing a bank of delinting saws, a suction flue extending rearwardly from said saws, said flue having side walls spaced to embrace and extending forwardly to overlap the rear edge portions of the end saws of said bank, an extensible top wall, an extensible bottom wall hingedly supported at its rear end, and battle means adapted to be moved substantially into contact with the periphery of set d saw, the extensible portion of said top wall being secured to said baffle means and cooperating therewith to substantially prevent downward flow of air into'said flue.

. JOHN B. RICKER. 

